Wire coil holder



J. E. GERMAIN WIRE C IL. HOLDER Feb. 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 31, 1962 Feb. 2, 1965 J. E. GERMAIN 3,168,262

WIRE c011, HOLDER United States Patent Ofifice 3,168,262 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,168,262 WIRE COIL HOLDER Jacques Ernest Germain, 214 Gage N., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Filed Dec. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 248,663 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-129) This invention relates to a wire coil holder.

More particularly, the invention relates to a wire coil holder which is associated with a machine, such as a wire drawing machine, the holder rotating to allow the feeding of the wire to the wire drawing machine.

The present practice of feeding the wire of a coil to the wire-drawing machine is to support the wire coil in a horizontal position, that is, with its longitudinal axis disposed horizontally and in the longitudinal axis of the wire drawing machine.

It is well known that such practice is not satisfactory, its two main disadvantages being: (1) that appreciable space must be provided between the wire coil and the intake end of the wire drawing machine, usually in the order of some twenty feet; (2) that even in spite of the space so provided, the wire curls.

It is obviously poor economy to use more fioor space in a manufacturing establishment than is necessary and moreover, any manufacturing difficulty met in producing a commodity is reflected in the cost of the product.

A wire coil holder in accordance with my invention results not only in economy of production, but also in appreciable saving in floor space. By the use of my invention, the wire coil, which will be of lesser length than the length of the present-day coil, is supported with its longitudinal axis vertically, which appreciably reduces curling or twisting of the wire as well as the unwinding difiiculty or snags encountered in the present-day practice or technique. Moreover, and of great importance, the space or distance between the coil and the intake of the wire drawing machine is greatly reduced, thus saving floor space.

Conveniently, the wire coils may be stored; and as needed, a coil is lifted onto a removable part of the device of the invention, this part (supporting the coil) hoisted or otherwise taken to and lowered onto the machine, and made an operative, removable part thereof.

The preferred form of the device is shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of my wire coil holder, partly broken away, with suitable wire guide, a typical wire drawing machine being shown in part;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of FIGURE 1, but omitting the wire guide and the drawing machine;

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 33 in FIGURE 1, on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of FIGURE 2, on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a section on line 5-5 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a section on line 66 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a wiring diagram.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the wire coil holder is shown in its entirety as A. The wire N from the coil (the outer end of which has been previously inserted into the die of the drawing machine, shown as D) is led to the drawing machine through a wire guide B.

The purpose of the wire guide B, as is known in the art, is to contain the wire, which tends to curl, so that as much as possible, the wire entering the drawing machine is straight and otherwise not kinked.

As stated previously, the wire guide shown is of a suitable form. It consists of freely-rotatable, horizontally disposed rollers 10 and vertically-disposed rollers 11 journalled in longitudinally-disposed angle members 12 the coil holder.

held in assembled relationship as by vertically-disposed plates 13 and horizontally-disposed plates 14. The angle members and plates define, in effect, a rigid hollow beam or structure, and the rollers 10 and 11, spaced apart longitudinally, in effect define a rectangular passage P (see FIGURE 3) for the wire.

This structure (the guide B) is supported above the floor, as seen in FIGURE 1, with the longitudinal axis of the passage in the longitudinal axis of the wire drawing machine, D.

The wire coil holder A will now be described.

21 is a disc which serves to receive and support a wire coil W. Rising above the disc 21 is a skeleton frame M which might be called a core; the core is encompassed or surrounded by the coils of the wire coil. This core may be formed as shown, that is, comprising four pipes or uprights 22 equally-circumferentially spaced, being equallyradially spaced from the centre of the disc 21, and being suitably joined together at their upper ends. The lower ends of the four members are conveniently welded to the upper face of the disc 21.

The disc 21 is adapted to be supported by a turntable 15 supported on suitable ball bearings 24 which in turn rest on a fixed supporting table 26 firmly attached to the floor. As will be seen, this table takes the entire load of not only the turntable, but of the coil holder (and coil).

The turntable is held down against the supporting table 26, more particularly against the ball bearings 24, as by a king pin 23. The disc 21 is adapted freely to rotate with the turntable when the disc is locked against upward displacement and lateral displacement, in operative position, by a plurality of shoes or bearings 30. These bearings, as will be seen presently, are adapted alternately to be moved radially toward the centre of the turntable releasably to lock the coil holder in operative position, and moved radially back into inoperative position to release Three such bearings are used, being of such arcual length as to subtend slightly less than each.

The periphery of the disc 21 is formed with a peripheral groove 32. Each of the three shoes or bearings 30 carries, on its disc-engaging edge or periphery, suitable ball bearings 38 adapted to be received into the groove 32 of the disc 21. Thus, the ball bearings act as thrust bearings, and also serve to retain the disc 21 in operative position.

As already stated, the three bearings 30 are adapted to be moved radially toward and away from the disc 21. Thus, suitable means are provided for so moving the bearings.

Rigidly extending radially-outwardly from each of the shoes 30, in an axis bisecting the centre of the disc 21 and disposed arcually midway between the extremities of the shoe, is an arm 36 of rectangular cross-section, which is slidably received in a hearing or bracket 39 so that the arm may move radially in its longitudinal axis.

All three shoes are slidably supported on a table 40. The radial displacement of each bearing, in the longitudinal axis of the arm 36, is determined by the engagement of a pin 42 secured to the arm 36 and extending upwardly therefrom to slide in a slot 44 through the upper wall of the bracket 39, with one end or the other of the slot 44. In one position of the pin in the slot, say, as in FIGURE 4, the shoes are in their extended operative position, releasably and rotatably locking the disc 21 in operative position. In the opposite position of the pin in the slot, the shoes are in their disc-releasing position.

Conveniently, the bracket 39 may include a flange 46 which is suitably bolted or otherwise secured to the table 40.

To move the shoe conveniently to operative position or to inoperative position, and as shown, I provide an electro-magnet arrangement or device, shown diagrammatically as 50, for each of the three shoes 30. Each such device may include two coils, E and E FIGURES 5 and 7, oppositely wound, the armature 51 being rigidly attached to one end of the arm 36 so that the arm (and therefore the shoe 30) may be actuated in one direction to release the disc 21, or'actuated in the opposite direction to move the shoe to disc-locking position, according as to which of the two coils is traversed by an electric current. One coil of each of the three shoes is wired or connected inseries with the same coils of the other two devices; likewise, the other coils are wired in series. A suitable manually-operatedswitch S controls the flow of current through one set or the other of the three coils. In order releasably to lock the three shoes 30 in their operative position, that is, the position releasably locking the disc21 in operative position, means such as shown,

particularly in FIGURE 6, may be used. As shown, a magnetically-operated device shown as 70 is used in association with each of the arms 36. The device may consist of a coil 71 and armature 72 to which is secured a washer 87. Between the washer 87 and a member 75 fixed to the bracket 85 of the device 70 is a coil spring 74. The armature projects some distance below the coil and acts as a locking bolt, being adaptedto engage in a hole 78 formed in to the arm 36, when the washer 87 is in its lowered position. When the armature 72 is in the position shown in FIGURE 5 or '6, the shoe is locked in its operative position.

The coils of all of the three devices 70 are wired in series so that one manual switch (not shown) will control the energization of all three coils, as when it is desired to unlock the shoes. By closing'the switch, the armatures (bolts) of all three devices are raised against the action of the respective tensioned springs 74 to raise the bolts to release the respective arms 36. While this switch is on, the switch S is operated to close the circuit through the coils E so that all three arms 36 are radially moved away from the centre of the turntable to release the turntable. The switch S can then be released, the locking devices being held in inoperative position inasmuch as the lower ends of' the 'armatures 72 will be riding on the arms, away from or free of the holes 78. On the other hand, the locking devices willbecome automatically operative when the shoes have been moved back to their operative position. Operation of the switch 5 in the other direction will energize the coils E and move the arms 36 back toward the disc 21.

It is desirable that the rotation of the turntable be controlled. Accordingly, a braking device may be used. Conveniently, an electro-magnetically-operated brake may be used. Thus, the device, shown as 80, includes an armature 81 the outer end of which rides on a brake drum in the form of a rim 82 depending from the turnable. A switch 83 in series in the circuit to the coil (not shown) is manually-operated to energize or deenergize the coil. Also in series in the coil circuit is a conventional adjustable rheostat' 84, so that the pressure of the armature (brake) on the rim 82 may be decreased or increased.

Obviously, the braking power of the braking device "will be adjusted so that the wire will unwind just as required, without the possibility of its unwinding too easily and freely. 1

What I claim is: 1. In a wire coil holding, machine,.the combination comprising:

a turntable mounted to rotate freely on a vertical axis; 7 a removable wire coil holder including a disc adapted to the laid upon said turntable and to be supported thereby, and a plurality of members secured to the upper surface of said disc, extending upwardly parallel to the vertical axis of said disc and operatively jointed together at a point above said disc; means for releasably locking said coil holder on said turntable, said means including a plurality of gripping members rotatably engaging said coil holder for holding said coil holder on said turntable in centered operative'relationship and said means being further operative to simultaneously withdraw said gripping members from engagement with said coil holder to release said coil holder from said turntable; and means for controlling the rotation of said turntable. [.5 a i 2. A wire coil holding machine as in claim 1, wherein said lastmentioned means acts on said turntable.

3. A wire coil holding machine as in claim 1, wherein said locking means acts on said disc.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,237 4/37 .lespersen u 242 -12s 2,409,742 10/46 Dougherty 242 129x 2,573,821 11/51 Wickwire -242-128X MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL c. MADER, Examiner. 

1. IN A WIRE COIL HOLDING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A TURNTABLE MOUNTED TO ROTATE FREELY ON A VERTICAL AXIS; A REMOVABLE WIRE COIL HOLDER INCLUDING A DISC ADAPTED TO THE LAID UPON SAID TURNTABLE AND TO BE SUPPORTED THEREBY, AND A PLURALITY OF MEMBERS SECURED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DISC, EXTENDING UPWARDLY PARALLEL TO THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID DISC AND OPERATIVLY JOINTED TOGETHER AT A POINT ABOVE SAID DISC; MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID COIL HOLDER ON SAID TURNTABLE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING MEMBERS ROTATABLY ENGAGING SAID COIL HOLDER FOR HOLDING SAID COIL HOLDER ON SAID TURNTABLE IN CENTERED OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP AND SAID MEANS BEING FURTHER OPERATIVE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHDRAW SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COIL HOLDER TO RELEASE SAID COIL HOLDER FROM SAID TURNTABLE; AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ROTATION OF SAID TURNTABLE. 